1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexibly elastic tip for various sorts of sticks use such as a single-handed cane, a crutch etc. and, in more particular, to those for stick use, which are targeted for aged persons, for physically handicapped persons and for rehabilitation of patients, and a stick shod with the same.
2. Brief Description of the Drawings
Various sorts of those sticks have been well known so far and almost all of those sticks are equipped respectively with an elastic tip formed of such as rubber etc. on a lowermost end of the stick.
In recent years, a flexibly movable tip employing a ball-and-socket joint has been known.
In the former elastic tip mentioned above, the tip can attain an initial object of preventing the stick from slipping if the stick is used so as to be kept perpendicular with respect to the ground. However, on an ordinary walk, as the stick is frequently used slant with respect to the ground due to difficulty of keeping the stick perpendicular to the ground such as on a slope, on steps etc., the tip is liable to contact with the ground so as not to exhibit an enough slip prevention effect because of a lack in contact area between the tip and the ground. Namely, there is a problem that the slip prevention effect inherent to the tip does not guarantee users with a high safety.
On the other hand, although the latter tip solves the problem and the deficiency of the former tip, a structure of the tip turns complicated because it is constituted of the ball-and-socket. Beside that, a movable portion which embraces the ball appears outside being exposed as a sliding part so that dusts and sands dispersed on a road surface are liable to invade into an inside through a discrepancy formed between the movable portion and the ball, resulting in another problem that they would be an origin of mechanical failures.
The present invention is carried out to solve the problems mentioned above. An object of the invention is to provide a tip for stick use including neither a movable portion nor a sliding part, which is monolithically formed as a whole, flexibly deformable and simply constituted to have a restoring function, and a stick shod with the same.
The present invention can solve the problems mentioned above if it is constituted as follows:
(1) A flexibly elastic tip for stick use, comprising:
a lower portion of the tip for contacting the ground;
an upper portion of the tip on which a stick inserting hole to be inserted with the stick is opened; and
a flexibly deforming portion for connecting the lower portion and the upper portion which is equipped with an annular concavity on a peripheral surface, wherein:
the three portions mentioned above are monolithically formed of an elastic material as a whole.
(2) A flexibly elastic tip for stick use, comprising:
a lower portion of the tip for contacting the ground;
upper portion of the tip on which a stick inserting hole to be inserted with the stick is opened; and
a flexibly deforming portion for connecting the lower portion and the upper portion which is equipped with an annular concavity on a peripheral surface, wherein:
the three portions mentioned above are monolithically formed of an elastic material as a whole; and
a reinforcement material for reinforcing the elastic material such as a spring coil, a cord etc. is embedded and fixed inside the elastic material.
(3) The flexibly elastic tip according to the constitution described either in (1) or in (2), wherein:
a tubular metal is coated on an inside wall of the hole which is opened on the upper portion of the tip.
(4) The flexibly elastic tip according to the constitution described either in (1) or in (2), wherein:
a tubular metal is coated on an inside wall of the hole which is opened on the upper portion of the tip; and
a light reflecting material is coated on an outside periphery of the upper portion of the tip.
(5) A stick shod with the tip described in (1) on a lowermost end of the stick.
(6) A stick shod with the tip described in (2) on a lowermost end of the stick.
(7) A stick shod with the tip described in (3) on a lowermost end of the stick.
(8) A stick shod with the tip described in (4) on a lowermost end of the stick.